rising costs

Social Security benefits will increase by just 1.5 percent next year – about $19 a month for the average retiree. The increase is one of the smallest since automatic cost-of-living adjustments were adopted in 1975. It affects Social Security benefits for some 58 million Americans, as well as benefits for millions of disabled veterans, federal retirees and people who get Supplemental Security Income. >> Sign up for the AARP Money newsletter. “The COLA announced today is vital to millions, but at …

For most people, the arrival of an extended summer heat wave brings to mind cooling off by the swimming pool and children running through lawn sprinklers. But for over 100,000 residents of Prince George’s County in suburban Maryland, the summer’s first major heat wave arrived with the news that they will face mandatory water restrictions for several days while the utility makes repairs to a failing water main. And it’s not only water pipes that are creating problems for residents …

How can we be brave enough to retire when our nest eggs aren’t moving in the right direction fast enough? Many of us older workers are still smarting from financial crisis and the toll it took on our net worth. We watched our retirement savings fall and start to inch their way back. But we’ve also been told, time and again by financial experts, that we need to stay on the job longer to save as much as we can so …